Meme’s Roast Turkey and Giblet Gravy
The first time Mama and I brined a turkey, it was a revelation. The bird emerged from the oven glistening and a rich, golden brown, like the glorious totemic beast from the Rockwell painting. Meme didn’t brine her bird, so I have taken a little liberty with this recipe. Let’s just say it’s the spirit of Meme with a dash of revised technique. We have never stuffed the bird in our family, but if the turkey is stuffed, make sure the temperature reaches 160°F in the center of the stuffing. When the stuffed turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let the turkey with stuffing stand for 15 minutes. This standing time allows the stuffing temperature to climb to 165°F, for an added measure of safety.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Roast Turkey
Turkey Giblet Stock
Giblet Turkey
Preparation
Step 1
To brine the turkey, combine the 2 gallons water, salt, and sugar in a large, nonreactive bucket or stockpot, if storing in the refrigerator, or in an insulated cooler, if not. Two gallons of water will be sufficient for most birds; larger birds may require three. Submerge the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for up to 14 hours. If using a cooler, add ice or freezer packs to keep the bird very cold. Remove the bird from the liquid and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Position an oven rack in the lowest part of the oven.
Step 3
To roast the turkey, season the bird inside and out with pepper (no salt is necessary because of the brining). Place the celery, parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, and onion in the cavity. Working from the cavity end, loosen the skin without tearing by running your fingers between the skin and flesh of the breast. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter under the skin and spread evenly. Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine and fold the wings under the body. Transfer the turkey to a rack in a large roasting pan. Rub the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over the skin.
Step 4
Roast for 30 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F. Baste the turkey with pan drippings and continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 165°F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Step 5
Meanwhile, prepare the giblet stock. While the turkey is roasting, place the neck, heart, and gizzard in a medium saucepan. (Do not add the liver now because it will make the stock bitter.) Add the water, onion, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan and discard the onion and bay leaf. Finely chop the heart and gizzard and set aside. Using a small paring knife, remove as much of the meat as possible from the neck bone. Set aside with the chopped heart and gizzard. Keep the stock warm.
Step 6
Transfer the turkey to a rimmed cutting board or warm serving platter. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Step 7
Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and set aside. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a fat separator and set aside. The fat will rise to the top and the juices and dark drippings will stay at the bottom. If you do not have a fat separator, pour the juices into a glass measuring cup and remove the fat with a metal spoon; reserve the fat and the drippings.
Step 8
Pour the separated drippings into a large liquid measuring cup. Add enough of the reserved giblet stock to make 4 cups. Set aside.
Step 9
Place the roasting pan across two burners on the cooktop over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved fat and the onions. Cook until clear and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the turkey stock mixture and any turkey juices accumulated on the platter and bring to a boil.
Step 10
In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, blend together the flour and butter to make a paste (beurre manié, French technique for thickening sauces). Whisk the flour mixture into the gravy, and decrease the heat to low. Finely chop the reserved liver and hard-cooked eggs and add to the gravy. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and the liver is cooked, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 11
To serve, carve the turkey and arrange on a serving platter. Transfer the gravy to a serving boat and pass around with the turkey. Serve with plenty of cornbread dressing and biscuits.
instant-read thermometer
Step 12
Instant-read thermometers are indispensable when cooking a large piece of meat because, while the doneness of steaks and chicken breasts can often be gauged by touching the meat and feeling for firmness, a large piece of meat needs a thermometer to really see what’s inside. The plastic pop-up timers found in many turkeys are unreliable, often resulting in an overcooked bird.
